The subject invention relates to wiring assemblies for vehicles, and more particularly to wiring assemblies extending from a vehicle to a sliding door mounted on the vehicle.
Vehicle makers have long-appreciated the benefits of providing power to sliding doors of the type that are commonly used in vans. This is important in the event that the maker wants to provide lighting or other power accessories in the door. Commonly, the sliding door will have internal wiring that terminates at one end in the lighting or other accessory. At the other end, the wiring terminates in a pressure contact plunger. This is shown in FIG. 2. When the door is closed, the contact plunger mates within a contact pad assembly mounted on the vehicle in the door frame. This arrangement is satisfactory, but it could be improved in several respects. First, the door only gets power when it is closed. When it is open, the plungers disengage the pads and no power travels to the door. Second, the arrangement depends on critical alignments that, if missing, can prevent the door from closing, or lead to breaking the plungers. Also, the plungers are exposed to the environment, making them susceptible to corrosion.
A wiring assembly for a vehicle having a sliding door includes a wire bundle having a plurality of cords, where the wire bundle extends from a first end that is adapted to attach to the vehicle, to a second end that is adapted to attach to a predetermined position on the sliding door. The assembly also includes a spring mechanism having a first end attached to the wire bundle at a position spaced from the first end of the wire bundle, the spring mechanism also having a second end adapted to attach to the vehicle. The basic assembly also includes a bundle guide disposed along the wire bundle between the spring mechanism and the second end of the wire bundle, where the bundle guide slidably supports the wire bundle, the bundle guide being adapted to attach to the vehicle adjacent the sliding door.
This type of arrangement improves upon the prior art design in several respects. First, it provides power to the sliding door even when the door is open. Second, it removes the need to ensure that plungers and pads align properly. Third, it further removes the need to have metal parts exposed to the environment. Finally, the assembly allows for the use of a continuous cable extending from the vehicle to the door, which facilitates the use of fiber optic cables in addition to or in lieu of electrical cables that might extend from the vehicle into the door.